My Experience with Hair Extensions: Q & A Edition
Hey Friends! First of all, thank you so much for your sweet messages and comments about my hair!! It's been super fun creating mini tutorials on IG of fun braids and hair styles and I am loving my new mermaid hair!! Secondly, y'all had a lottt of questions about the process, so I wanted to answer them in a blog post for future reference! Hope I'm able to answer all of your questions! If not, leave it in the comment below :) Q: Who did my extensions?A: Stephanie Waltrip from Studio Sage did them!! She also runs a bomb blog- you gotta check it out HERE! I wanted someone who was trained and knew what they were doing with extensions, but also someone who personally has experienced them as well. Stephanie wears them and I knew she would give me the exact information I needed for care and styling! Studio Sage is located on Beach Blvd in Jax Beach for all of you local girls. It's a really cool salon- if you're looking for a new hair home, Studio Sage is awesome.Q: Why did you get extensions? You already had long hair?A: haha! I get this question ALL the time- even from some of the other stylists at the salon! 2 reasons: #1 Yes, I had long hair, but I wanted VOLUME! By adding in the extensions, we were able to really cut my layers short (for volume), but add the extensions so we didn't sacrifice length! Reason #2: I wanted to lighten my hair again- I have naturally brunette hair and a warm brunette tone at that. My goal is a super ashy "bronde" and the extensions have been helping me achieve that perfect color (Most of the blonde you see are the extension pieces)Q: What kind of extensions did you get and what brand?A: I have 17 inch Tape in extensions from Hair Talk!Q: How much do they cost?A: I don't want to give you an exact price because pricing varies by the length of extension you choose, the amount of packs you need (I have 2 in my hair!) and the type of extensions you purchase. However, I'd say it's anywhere from $450- $900. BUT! If you're sincerely interested in going the extension route- I would set up a consultation with Stephanie so she can look at your hair, you can talk about what you want to achieve, and get a better estimate of how long the process will take and how much you will be spending.Q: How long did the process take? A: The actual installation of my extensions took maybe 30 minutes? I had two packs of hair added to my own hair. I'd say it also depends on your stylist- Steph knew what she was doing and was QUICK! However, other types of extensions- tie- in, etc... will probably take much longer. I will say, the ENTIRE process did take almost all day. I was there 10-3ish? But we colored my hair (and not just babylights, Steph completely balayaged my hair) toned it, cut it, finished matching extension color and then installed my extensions. Again, I already had very long hair ( my hair was prob 2-3 inches shorter than the extensions) so the process took a bit longer than someone who's coming in with short hair (I'd imagine)Q: Do they hurt/ ache?A: The first night or two, yes. They were pretty sore around my scalp and it was hard to find a comfortable way to lie my head when I slept because they were sore, however, after 2 ish days, I can't even feel them. It is DEF a lot more hair and "throwing it up into a ponytail" takes a little more effort now, but I knew what I was getting into and that's the price you pay for mermaid hair I guess haha!Q: What's the upkeep like? Styling, etc? A: You REALLY need to take good care of your extensions if you want them to last. Showering and blow drying my hair takes a bit longer than it used to so I only wash my hair every 4 days or so. (DRY SHAMPOO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND) I use a purple shampoo (currently using pulp riot- have your stylist find it for you) it's the best one so far that seems to keep my hair ashy. I will say, it does dry out my extensions so I use a hair mask after every single wash. Currently using THIS mask and I like it. I'll use THIS DETANGLER/heat protectant before I comb out my hair and THIS OIL before and after every blow dry. In between washes, I'll use a dry shampoo for some volume and texture and that's honestly it! Curl tends to hold longer with extensions.Q: Can I color my hair with these extensions? A: I believe you have to take them out each time you need a color touch up. If you can last 6-8 weeks, perfect! they will be coming out to be moved up anyway ( more on that below) But that's why I personally love Balayage because there isn't a lot of color maintenance. It grows out naturally and I don't have any greys (yet!) so this type of extension worked for me in terms of maintenance!Q: How long do they last? Do they ruin your hair?A: You'll need to get your tapes moved up (closer to your scalp) every 6-8 weeks. I'm actually going at 4 weeks to get mine moved up. I don't know if it's the prenatals I'm still taking, but my hair has already grown like an inch. So that brings me to answer the second question- Yes, my hair is GROWING and healthy with extensions! Stephanie said a good stylist will move your extensions to a different section of hair each time they're moved up so you don't damage your hair. (if you consistently kept extensions on the same strands of hair, yes, it would damage it.) Supposedly, with good hair care, the extensions themselves will last you 6-12 months!Q: Thoughts on hair extensions with postpartum hair loss?A: I don't feel like I can answer this properly- fortunately I have not really experienced any PP hair loss, hoping it stays that way! But, like mentioned above, hair extensions do not tear out your hair.Q: How do you cover up the tape when styling your hair? A: With the tape in extensions, you can't really wear your hair up in a high pony or bun (in public) it's possible, but you can see the tape therefore- low buns and pony's are your new jam. I have actually been able to pull the hair over the tapes and secure it with a bobby pin and that usually does the trick!
*Last min tips!
At night, either braid your hair or put it in a high bun with a scrunchie- this helps your extensions not get tangled.
Do not go to bed with wet hair. This makes your extension tangled, matted and ends look very frizzy. Try your best to blow dry your hair all the way through.
While blow drying- be careful about applying too much heat to the tapes- this can cause them to become untaped (same with masks and conditioners)
Try and go as long as you can in between washes. washing your hair too much is not good for it and especially not good for the extensions/tapes.
I didn't know this originally, but after doing some research I found that Hair Talk donates a portion to women battling cancer with every purchase! Having a mom that battled two different types of cancers, I found this super cool!
